The invention relates, generally, to pinball machines, and more particularly to an improved play feature for such games which is designed to foster and maintain player interest therein.
A typical pinball game includes an inclined playfield which supports a rolling ball, a pair of flippers, a vertical backbox containing the game electronics and a variety of play features. The person who plays the game has control of flippers mounted on the playfield which, when activated by the player at the appropriate time, propel the pinball across the playfield. A typical object of pinball games is for the player to direct pinballs at selected play features or targets to score points. When a ball passes into an out hole, the ball is no longer accessible and another ball is propelled onto the playfield. The duration of the game is normally determined by the length of time that a certain predetermined number of balls can be kept in play.
As will be appreciated, the success of a manufacturer's line of pinball games depends on its ability to attract players to its games. To attract players, it is necessary to provide new, exciting and challenging play features that test the player's skill in addition to entertaining the player.
Two or more players can be accommodated on a single playfield by playing in rotation, play passing from person to person each time a ball escapes from play. In multi-player situations there is clearly a drawback in that only one of the players is able to actively play the game at any one time.
In the field of video arcade games, particularly motor racing simulations, it is well known for two or more units to be linked together in such a way that two or more people can play in the same game simultaneously, whereby symbols representing all players are represented on the screens of other players, allowing the players to interact as if, for example, in a real race. Thus multiple player games are created with the advantages that players are not kept waiting to actively play the game, and that more enjoyment is generated by the direct competition.
The concept of linking two machines to allow several players to participate in a single game environment could not be applied directly to pinball machines, as ball movement on two machines clearly cannot be synchronized due to its chaotic nature.